The BGTW was asked to nominate the best picnic spots in Britain for the Red Tractor food assurance scheme.

This is for a campaign by the Assured Food Standards, the not-for-profit organisation which looks after the Red Tractor logo which goes on British food and drink to guarantee that it has been conscientiously produced to a quality standard in Britain. This year they are celebrating their 10th anniversary and are putting together an Outdoor Eating Guide which will feature Red Tractor picnic and BBQ recipes and the list of top public picnic spots.

The list has now gone public on www.myredtractor.co.uk/week and there have been articles about it in the Telegraph, Guardian and Sun. The Travel Channel will be featuring it on their programme, and it's being covered in radio interviews.

The site that really stood out was Rhossili Down, at the western end of the Gower peninsula in south Wales. Three members nominated this wonderful spot.

Here's our top 30:

1. Rhossili Bay, Gower, Wales
Renata Rubnikowicz, Victoria Trott and Patricia Aithie
Dylan Thomas called this bay at the far end of the Gower peninsula the ‘wildest, bleakest and barrenest I know’. Spread your picnic cloth on the short turf and enjoy unparalleled views. Turn one way and on a clear day you can see the north Devon coast, turn the other to look along the three-mile yellow sweep of Rhossili sands, where the surfers will be catching waves whatever the time of year. Kittiwakes cry and hang-gliders and paragliders launch themselves over the beach off Rhossili Down. So long as the tide is out, take a walk out to Worm’s Head – which looks like a great dragon rising from the sea.

2. Tennyson Down, near Freshwater, Isle of Wight
Tricia Hayne
For sheer scenic grandeur, the superb views across the Solent and much of the Isle of Wight itself from the close-cropped turf of Tennyson Down take some beating. A bracing – if steep – half-hour walk along the coastal path from Freshwater Bay (where there’s limited parking) is enough to whet the appetite for a hearty picnic, often with just the west wind and flocks of wheeling gulls for company. Suitably refuelled, check out the monument that bears the poet’s name, then perhaps continue on to the island’s westernmost tip overlooking that most iconic of Isle of Wight landmarks, the Needles. Or simply take the time to stop and stare: it was, after all, the view that inspired Tennyson himself. (Lesser mortals might prefer to take the hop-on, hop-off bus nearer to the monument.)

3. Redpoint Beach, Wester Ross, Scottish Highlands
Mike Unwin
Redpoint is at the end of the road – and feels like it. Meander along the single-track B8056 south from Gairloch until it goes no further, then tramp down over the heather and sand dunes to a wide and gloriously empty crescent of beach. Here you’ll find perfect sandcastle sands littered with shells and limpid, Gulf Stream waters inviting a paddle. Take your picnic on the point itself – a rocky promontory that divides the beach in two – and soak in the wilderness, with the Outer Hebrides lined up along the horizon and the peaks of the Torridon at your back. Watch gannets, skuas and divers in the bay, and keep your eyes peeled for an otter, a sea eagle or even a minke whale.

4. Richmond Hill, Surrey
Lydia Itoi
In 1727, the view from Richmond Hill moved James Thomson to write
"Heavens! What a goodly prospect spreads around
Of hills, and dales, and woods
And lawn and spires and glittering towns,
And gilded streams..."
William Wordsworth, Sir Walter Scott, Sir Joshua Reynolds, and J.M.W. Turner all felt inspired to immortalize the view, but it isn’t known if they brought picnics along. If they didn’t, it’s a shame. The view today – the undulating, timeless Thames rolling past seemingly endless green woods and meadows still populated by cows and glittering spires – is still essentially unchanged. The only difficulty is choosing the perfect picnic spot: maybe the shady bench halfway up the hill to the Terrace overlooking the view, or on the grassy banks of the Thames near the graceful stone arches of Richmond Bridge. There is also Richmond Park, the largest Royal Park in London and with plenty of open space to picnic while meditating on the stately old trees or the grazing deer.

5. Malham Cove, Yorkshire Dales
Caroline Mills
Street-café culture might have arrived late in Britain but in the Yorkshire Dales a picnic on the pavement has long been a favourite pastime – at least on the natural limestone pavements for which the Dales are, geologically speaking, so renowned. Plummeting from one of the finest of these features is Malham Cove. Never has a stone wall been so spectacular to look at. This giant limestone curve draws many a picnicker to nestle at its grassy foot, with the trickle of a tiny stream, playing over tumbling pebbles, as a background song. Take the short stroll from Malham village to the Cove for eats, then watch the climbers fingertip their way up the rock face and the resident peregrine falcons eye up their own picnic.

6. The northern New Forest, Hampshire
Adele Evans and Michael Howorth
In this primeval-feeling area set up in Norman times as a royal hunting forest, wild ponies graze while long-legged foals take their first teetering steps, a sparrow hawk hovers, shy fallow deer with their striped rump and velvet antlers spring away in the distance and gossamer webs woven by a million spiders veil the bright yellow gorse. From the Linford Bottom Car Park an idyllic circular walk crosses over a little bridge by Linford Brook, with designated areas for picnics. Alternatively, Turf Hill is an excellent spot to go for a walk, a slow amble or brisk calorie-burning exercise. If it is hot dip your toes in the stream that runs along the bottom of the valley or hide out in the forest. Afterwards you can relax near the car park by the small ponds that attract the ponies in dry weather and enjoy your picnic.

7. The Giant’s Causeway, Bushmills, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland
Bryn Frank
No need to hurry. It's been there for 60 million years and it’ll still be there at lunchtime. Nor will you have trouble finding a place to picnic: 38,000 columns made up of the basalt rock that forms most of the earth’s crust and were thrust into the open by volcanoes provide ready-made stone tables and seats. It’s popular, with a
visitor centre less than mile away (this is ‘World Heritage’ for softies), so go for the quieter moments. A warm-summer sunset can be memorable. Clambering over rocks
that can bring to mind Manhattan’s concrete canyons will tire children out. If they get obstreperous, regale them with the alternative story of the Giant’s Causeway,
which is that it was begun by the gargantuan Finn MacCool as a challenge to his Scottish counterpart across the water to come over and fight.

8. Wastwater, The Lake District, Cumbria
Chris Bagshaw
Even in a county of beautiful lakes, Wastwater never fails to take your breath away. From the winding road that follows the northern shore, the mountains rise up all around, towering scree slopes and shapely summits dominate the view. But here also gentle grassy areas edge the water with tiny bays and islets, perfect for a lakeside lunch. There’s parking off the road but nothing so formal as a table or a bench. When you’ve finished revelling in such an awesome mountain backdrop, continue up the valley to the tiny hamlet of Wasdale Head, perhaps calling in to the famous climbers pub, or visiting the pocket size parish church – St Olaf’s.

9. Devil’s Dyke, South Downs, West Sussex
Samantha Wilson
A patchwork of green fields, ancient hedgerows and tiny hamlets weave their way into the distance, and it is easy to see why Devil’s Dyke has been a popular picnic spot since Victorian times. Steeped in folklore legend and with a history dating back to the Iron Age, Devil’s Dyke provides a rare opportunity to shrug off modernisation. As the sheep bleat lazily, the buzzards soar overhead and the butterflies flutter over the grassland and wildflowers, it is clear to see why this is one of Sussex’s, and indeed Britain’s, most popular picnic spots. The Dyke itself is a dramatic dry valley just away from the escarpment, which looks far across the Weald.

10. Top Withens, near Haworth, West Yorkshire
Roger Macdonald
The inspiration for Emily Bronte’s magnificent novel Wuthering Heights, the long-abandoned farmhouse of Top Withens offers an unforgettable panorama over the Pennine moors. It is a reward for effort and persistence, the end of a demanding 5-mile hike uphill from the Brontes’ village of Haworth, past and beyond the Bronte waterfall. Ancient flagstones mark the path, and those who stay the course are rewarded by near solitude, epic views, and a picnic spot with almost its own sky. The single-storey ruin, perhaps never quite what Heathcliffe had in mind, offers shelter from the winds that roll across the moor. It was last occupied by Ernie Roddy, poultry farmer and part-time milkman, as long ago as 1926. There is no access by road and therefore no shops, pubs or ice-cream vendors, so take everything you think you might need. At least the 5-mile return hike is downhill all the way.

11. Eggardon Hill, Dorset
Brian Jackman
Where better for a picnic than a mighty National Trust hillfort with the grandest views in Dorset? Even getting there is fun, driving from Bridport through winding back lanes that eventually bring you out onto the roof of Hardy’s Wessex. Here, 800 feet above the sea where the wind blows and skylarks sing among the clouds, little has changed since Eggardon’s Iron-Age inhabitants encircled the hilltop with their vast embankments. This is not just a great viewpoint. Eggardon marks the geological divide where the chalk country ends and the true West Country begins. Walk out to its western end, known as the Belstone, across close-knit turf stippled with orchids, and the whole of West Dorset lies at your feet. On a fine day, when Lyme Bay turns to silver and the light is clear and sharp as cider, you can see as far as Dartmoor.

12. Tarr Steps, near Withypool, Exmoor National Park
Hilary Bradt
The oldest medieval bridge in the region is the focal point for this area, but those in the know take the footpath along the east bank of the River Barle to find the best picnic spots. Sunny clearings of short, springy grass border the river where deep pools invite a dip on a hot day. Linger at the bridge before having your picnic, however; it really is something special. Constructed from 17 huge slabs of stone, each weighing over a ton and dragged from a considerable distance, it is a remarkable piece of 13th-century workmanship. Or else it’s a creation of the devil – who, they say, still retains the right to sunbathe there.

13. Oronsay, Hebrides, Scotland
Nicky Gardner
While crowds flock to Iona, only the savviest picnickers opt for Oronsay, the tiny Hebridean island just south of Colonsay which boasts the finest picnic venue in the British Isles. It was on this remote island (population 5) that Columba landed in 563, later to move on to Iona. The sheltered ruins of the Augustinian Priory on Oronsay provide the ideal spot for an alfresco luncheon. Expect stunning seascapes, choughs and corncrakes, field gentians and rock samphire, and listen out for the roaring of bull seals jostling for manly status on the rocks below. Check tides very carefully, for Oronsay is cut off at high tide. Access to Oronsay is on foot, walking at low tides across the sands from Colonsay.

14. Holme Moss, near Holmfirth, Derbyshire/West Yorkshire border
Chris Hawksworth
From high moorland at l,700 feet, Holme Moss offers one of the most stimulating picnic views in England. The pull-in spot is near to the famous TV aerial at the top of the moor, after climbing the steep and scenic A6024 from Holmbridge. This allows you to park and picnic in your vehicle if the weather is wild, or pick a place on the surrounding moorland to park yourself and your basket and drink in the 50-mile vista. The road up to here is one of England’s most challenging and best-known bicycle ascents, ‘Le Col de Moss’. Up here too is the Pennine Way north–south footpath. The River Holme rises on the moor and flows through the village of Holme, about a mile below to the town of Holmfirth where The Last of the Summer Wine was filmed. Warm clothing may be needed and stout shoes are useful, but the air is fresh and fragrant and if the environment here doesn’t stimulate your appetite, nothing will.

15. Snowdon, Snowdonia National Park
Caroline Mills
When the sun shines, few views in the UK can be as dramatic as that gained from the summit of Snowdon, the highest point in Wales. Watching the world drift by as clouds cast their shadowy shapes over the crinkly folds of the neighbouring hills, while a transparent blue sky sharpens the outlines of the rocky summits, you’ll find that food tastes all the more delicious. An added bonus, if you can pack your edibles into a small bag, you have your own mule to pull your picnic to the summit in the form of the Snowdon Mountain Railway (hampers and large rucksacks are not allowed), starting from Llanberis. And, having taken the leisurely route up, you can walk off the feast on one of the six main paths down the mountainside.

16. Kynance Cove, Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall
Tim Locke
Snuggled beneath the stupendously rugged serpentine cliffs of the Lizard Peninsula, this for many is the epitome of Cornish beaches, lapped by waters that can seem improbably turquoise. Do time your picnic with low tide, when it becomes two beaches and reveals dazzlingly white sands which you can wander across to the offshore rock known as Asparagus Island; perfectionists might like to pack asparagus into the picnic box because the delicacy used to grow wild there. A wonderful stroll along the cliff tops leads to Lizard Point, the most southerly spot in mainland Britain.

17. Foel Drygarn, the Preseli Hills, Pembrokeshire
Kathy Arnold
From the ruins of this Iron Age hill fort, look north. On a clear day, you can see the Llŷn Peninsula and other points in North Wales. In the Preseli Hills, a 30-minute walk from the village of Crymych, skylarks and sheep are the only intrusion. But here in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, the historical connections give you the shivers. All around is bluestone, the source for the inner ring of standing stones at Stonehenge – 240 miles away.

18. The Goring Gap, Oxfordshire
Peter Lynch
Walk east along the Thames towpath from the village of Goring to Gatehampton Ferry Cottage and then up the hill through Hartslock Nature Reserve to a rustic viewing seat. Magnificent red kites soar overhead while butterflies flit between orchids and a multitude of other chalk downland flowers that carpet the hillside. Picnickers are surrounded by rolling hills and woodlands of the Chilterns and the Berkshire Downs that are cut through at the Goring Gap. The Thames flows through the Gap beside the Ridgeway, which is Europe’s oldest prehistoric road. Looking down from the rustic seat the panoramic views back along the Thames are spectacular as it winds through Goring Gap and passes under one of Brunel’s bridges.

19. Cambridge
Susie Boulton
Punt upstream along the tranquil Cam or stroll along the riverside. This is the perfect picnic spot in spring or summer. King’s College owns much of the ancient meadows on the way to Grantchester but you can enjoy a choice picnic spot by staying on the punt while someone else does the hard work of punting, or travelling in the other direction through the Backs; or find a spot on Jesus Green or one of the many other idyllic places in this very green city. Scudamores at the Mill Pond hire out punts. The river invites leisurely strolls or cycle rides to the ‘up-river resort’ of Grantchester.

20. Coastal Park, Folkestone, Kent
Chris Doree and Meli George
Paths twist and turn throughout Folkestone’s 11-hectare Coastal Park. Popular with families and romantic diners alike the barbecue-ready picnic benches are nestled in secluded lawned areas overlooking the sea. Descend from the grassy expanse of lawns known as the Leas via the Zigzag path past Victorian grottoes and catch a show at the outdoor amphitheatre. Kids play for hours on the Southeast’s largest (and free) adventure playground, while manmade bays provide safe sea swimming for all. Access could not be easier with plenty of parking at both ends of the park and the Sustrans National Cycle Route 2 also provides access for wheelchair users.

21. Cuckmere Haven, near Seaford, East Sussex
Tim Locke
Patrols of swans frequent the Cuckmere River, which meanders scenically around sheep-nibbled pastures towards the sea amid this most unspoilt of Sussex estuary landscapes. A shingle beach makes an idyllic spot for an impromptu picnic, beneath the most westerly of the roller-coaster chalk cliffs known as the Seven Sisters. Access from the road and car parks (dedicated picnic site in the woods by the northern of two car parks within the Seven Sisters Country Park) is easy – with a child-friendly cycle route along a level concrete track, or by a grassy waterside path. After lunch, head up to the Seven Sisters for the dizzying views, kite-flying opportunities and the finest coastal walk in southeast England.

22. West Weares, Portland, Dorset
Geoff Moore
This delightful multi-level grassed area in Chesil Cove on the Isle of Portland has stunning views of the extraordinary 18-mile shingle bank of Chesil Beach – one of the natural wonders of the Dorset coast, and one of the many highlights of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. Sculptured curved stone works add an extra dimension to what is very much a secretive site used mainly by the locals for summer picnics.
Chesil Beach itself defies nature, as the biggest pebbles should be in the west, however the large ones are in the east, and the smallest ones are miles away at the Western end!

23. Holyrood Park, Edinburgh
Tim Locke
Not many capital cities have volcanic hills towering over them. Holyrood Park is one. Originally a hunting reserve for Holyrood Palace, it’s anything but a municipal park, with a dramatic basalt cliff, windswept gorse bushes, three lochs and a ruined chapel. For sandwich-munching while contemplating the magnificence of Edinburgh’s Old Town, its highest point – Arthur’s Seat – is hard to beat. Walk up either from Dunsapie Loch on the east side or from Holyrood Palace; it’s steep enough to drum up a good appetite.

24. Cat’s Back, Black Mountains, Herefordshire
Paul Wade
The Black Mountains are like a natural wall between Wales and England. Look east from the Cat’s Back, high above Craswall, to Herefordshire’s Golden Valley. Laid out below, like a green patchwork quilt, are fields and villages that seem unchanged in centuries. Sit and munch as clouds scud over a landscape straight off a calendar of Great English Views.

25. London City Hall, London
Ferne Arfin
The vest-pocket park beside London’s new City Hall enjoys some of the most iconic urban views in the UK. Overlooking the deep and historic Pool of London, and HMS Belfast, the park is just upstream of Tower Bridge. Lucky picnickers may get a chance to see the bridge open to admit smaller cruise ships into this deep stretch of the Thames. Across the river, pennants fly on the Tower of London and the gleaming White Tower. Beyond it, the City of London skyline, dominated by the Swiss Re building (‘The Gherkin’), adds yet another generation of urban architectural icons to the picture.

26. Knock Farril Fort, near Strathpeffer, Scottish Highlands
Patricia Aithie
Walk up from Strathpeffer through Blackmuir Wood and past the Touchstone Maze, built in 1992 using major rock types of the Highlands and Islands. On top of the long ridge you encounter Knock Farril Fort – dating from the Iron-Age (800–500BC) and the finest example of a ‘vitrified fort’ in northern Scotland; the views from this fort across Loch Ussie are amply worth the effort.

27. Kenwood House, London
Angela Humphery and Natasha Blair
Tuck into a picnic sitting amongst the azaleas and rhododendrons in the springtime at Kenwood, Hampstead, next to the big house once owned by Lord Iveagh of the Guinness family. When the sun is shining and these shrubs are in bloom it is quite exquisite and there is even a handkerchief tree there. This garden, to the side of the house, looks down upon the Pasture Ground and a lake on which there is a faux bridge; the grounds were influenced by the landscape gardener Humphry Repton. And, of course, you can bring your dog to join in the fun.

28. Above Ravenscar, North Yorkshire
Liz Coggins
High on the cliffs between Scarborough and Whitby is Ravenscar – part of the North York Moors National Park. What could be more peaceful or romantic than picnicking here 600 feet above sea level overlooking the historic red-roofed fishing village of Robin Hood’s Bay? From the nearby heather-clad moors, the only sounds you’ll hear are the crashing of the waves and the calls of the birds, for wildlife is abundant here, as you dreamily take in one of Yorkshire’s most beautiful views.

29. Chiswick House Grounds, London
Judith Baker
Step back in time as you throw the picnic rug on the banks of the lake in the shadow of the neo-Palladian villa in Chiswick House Grounds, West London. Created by the third Earl of Burlington, who was inspired on his grand tour by the architecture of ancient Rome and 16th century Italy, the setting is idyllic. One can almost picture Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire crossing the bridge to your left and admiring the cascade. The serenity of the spot makes it difficult to believe that you are only minutes from the A4 and just a few miles from London’s West End. After lunch take a stroll round the gardens acknowledged as the birthplace of the English Landscape movement and the inspiration for other great gardens including Blenheim Palace and New York’s Central Park.

30. Holkham Beach, near Wells-next-the-sea, Norfolk
Tim Locke

The ultimate Norfolk picnic might include local crab sandwiches on the vast beach accessed at Holkham Gap, where pine trees flank the sands. A fascinating place for contemplation, birdwatching or beachcombing this is most memorably reached from Burnham Overy Staithe, a couple of miles west. From there, follow the grassy sea wall which zigzags its way between tall reeds and lonely saltmarshes, then carry on through the dunes to the beach itself.